$500,000 Judgment Obtained in Pregnancy and Retaliation Case Against CHOP

On Thursday, September 6, 2018, a $500,000 judgment was entered in favor of Dr. Kaede Ota and against the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (“CHOP”) in the case, she filed for pregnancy discrimination and retaliation. Dr. Ota’s complaint sets forth detailed facts involving her treatment by her supervisor, Dr. Robert W. Doms after she initially advised him of her pregnancy and later after she repeatedly raised concerns about pregnancy discrimination at his hands. Judgment was accepted in federal court in Philadelphia.

Dr. Ota was represented by Stephen G. Console, Laura C. Mattiacci, and Katherine C. Oeltjen all of Console Mattiacci Law in Philadelphia. Stephen Console stated the following, “Dr. Ota is to be praised for her courage and conviction in bringing this lawsuit and in not being willing to accept anything short of a complete victory and a publicly filed judgment. Any other female employee of CHOP who feels discriminated against because of her sex or pregnancy now knows that she is not alone and that victims of abuse of power can prevail in demanding that their civil rights be upheld.”

This judgment stands in stark contrast to situations where companies pay settlements that require strict confidentiality agreements and allow discrimination to be swept under the rug. By demanding a publicly filed judgment, victims of discrimination can expose those who have abused their power and, hopefully, help prevent the next employee from being victimized.

Dr. Ota stated, “This is an important win for all physician moms who have experienced discrimination in the workplace or have faced backlash when they raised concerns. I came forward with my story because I believe that we, the healthcare community, need to determine how to ensure that women who bear children are treated equally, and with respect. My hope is that this win will mobilize our community toward this end.”